Nailing and similar fastening machine.



D. J. G. MILLER.

NAILING AND SIMILAR FASTENING MACHINE.

1 v 7 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1911. 1,00 03, Pai Bnted Nov 14, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I/VVFNTOR;

wlr/vsase JLAIM/ GOLUIIIA'PLANOGIAPII cm, vIAsnmnToN. D c.

0 D. J. G. MILLER. NAILING AND SIMILAR FASTENING MAOHINB.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1911. 1,008,608, Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'NVFNTOR; WITNESSES- %rm M 0 4 I coLullllA ILANOGIIAm c0.,wA:llING'ruN,D. I;

D. LG. MILLER. NAILING AND SIMILAR FASTENING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1911.

Patel ted Nov. 14, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

/v v EA! 7 o R CDLUMBIA PLANUGIIAI'" CL-WASHINGTDN. D C.

WlT/VEssEs:

IAWWM MIX D. J.- G. MILLER.

NAILING AND SIMILAR FASTENING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1911. 1,008,608, Pate uted Nov. 14, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4'.

nvvvvra WITNESSES.

COLUMBIA PLANOGAPH ctr.v WASHINGTON. n. c.

DONALD JOHN GUNN MILLER, 01? BOOTLE, ENGLAND.

NAILING AND SIMILAR FASTENING MACHINE.

Specification 01. Letters Patent.

Application filed June 30, 1911.

Patent 5d Nov. 14, 1911.

Serial No. 638,194

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DONALD JOHN GUNN MILLER, a subject of the King ofEngland, residing at Bootle, in the county of Lancaster, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Im rovements in and Relating to Nailingand Similar Fastening Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has reference to nailing and similar fastening machinesof the type in which the nails or fasteners are contained in a vessel,and are fed to a longitudinally slotted or divided nail chute, whencethey pass seriatz'm to the nail tubes, being controlled by meansdisposed at the upper ends of the tubes by which the nails are carriedto the grooved hammer plate, whereby they are supported in front of thehammers which serve to drive them into a box or article on a movabletable.

The invention has primarily for its object and effects to provideimprovements hereinafter described in connection with machines of thekind referred to, by which they are rendered more certain in action,quicker and also generally more efiicient and convenient for thepurposes for which it is used.

The invention comprises the novel features of construction andarrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention Fi ure 1 is afront end elevation of the mac ine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation showingthe machine partly in section; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of themachine looking on the opposite side to that given in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 ISa detail side view of one of the chutes. Fig. 5 is a view of the upperend; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional plan showing ,the means for operatingthe movable sides of the chutes. Fig. 7 is a plan view of one of thepairs of tongs. Fig. 8 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 9 is a detailview illustratin ing the size of the opper openings. Fig. 10 is a detailview showin certain modified chute arrangements, and ig. 11 is a detailview of the spring books 88. Fi 12 is adetail view of the nail drivingan guiding means.

Referring now to the drawings, the con-.

tainer for nails is designated 1; it bein mounted in bearings 2 at eachend, carrie circular heads they the manner of vary-' door 3 on it, throuh "vhich the nails are introduced into it, in bilk.

through apertures 4:, set in rows or rings around it, the number cfwhich will be arranged to suit the maximum number of rows of nails to beintroduced into the parts of the box or other article to be joinedtogether; and in one anl an advantageous construction, these holes areadapted to be made larger or smaller Ll will, so as to enable thedelivery of sm: ller or larger nails or heads of nails, to bl made, withequal certainty. In the mac line shown in the drawings, this is accomlished by using revolving or sliding rings or sleeves 5 which are shownin'detai'l in lig. 9 in connection with the container 1. P referably,the holes 4 are of diamond shape, as shown, and the holes 6 in the sliderings are of the same shape; so that, when these two holes coinaremoved, and this is desirable, as in case of using nails with irreg' ilarshaped or nonvill always drop through without regard to the position ofthe head with relation tc the hole. The degree of opening will of cnurse, be according to the size of the nail bi ing used. Preferably thecylinder or drum 1 will be given a fraction of a revolutioi. foreachaction;

-;but it may if desired, le made to revolve continuously, this dependingupon the purpose to which it is ut, 2nd special requirements of anyparticular case. In case of the container having a fi actional movementof rotation for each 0 er: .tion, it may be obtained from a art 0 th amachine through .a flexible ban or the like. This'is illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2. In this drawing 7 represents the flexible, cc rd orband,-wh1ch is operated from the she: t 13, by an arm 14 mounted on thetreadle actuated shaft 13 %he arm itself being adjustable ,on the saft'circumferentially by a clamping nut I The nails are- .d1scharged ordelivered from the container device 15, to give different degrees ofmovement to the container 12; and the band or cord 7 passes over a puley 16 fixed on the drum spindle 2, and is fastened at its other end toa spring 17 which itself is secured to a fixed part of the frame. Thisshaft 13 is connected to the box moving transverse bar 10", of the table10, by arms 12, and side rods 11, which are connected to the bar 10 bypins 11" in the usual way. Thus when the table 10 is moved rearwardly,the cord or band 7, by the means described, will be ulled down, and thepulley 16, and with it the drum 1, are moved a partial revolution;while, when the table and bar are moved forwardly after the nailingoperation, the band 7 will be slackened by this action, and the spring17 will pull it over, causing it to slip on the periphery of the ulley16, which in this action is prevented rom rotating by a brake cam 18, sosupported and hinged, as shown, that while it ermits the pulley torevolve freely in one irection, namely, in a positive action, in thereturn action it grips or brakes and holds the pulley 16. Thus thepulley 16 is turned around, frictionally, by the band 7 and the brakecam 18.

The nails are delivered from the container or drum 1 on to a vibratorydevice 20, which may be in the form of a tray, supported by uprightmembers 20 of spring form, carried from the frames, so that when thetray 20 is moved and released, it will be vibrated by and upon the arms20. The tray 20 has a general incline in the direction of the feed ofthenails, namely, from the front to the back, and below it are the guidesor ways for the nails to travel down; and they are delivered from thevibrating device on to the said guides. The vibratory tray device 20 isof a ridged and rooved section, so that the nails as they fal upon insuch a way as to cause them, when they reach it, to take a longitudinaldirection, and to fall endwise in the re uired direction into the nailchutes or sli es below. Beyond this object and effect, it has the effectof also equalizing the movement of-the nails to the chutes or slides andenerally controlling their movement; and 1t causes them to be deliveredat a uniform rate, and in a manner that they will be well distributed.This vibratory effect upon the tray 20 may be effected by any suitablemeans. In the case shown, this means is a trip motion, and it consistsof a lever 21 at one side, hinged at 22 to the side frame of themachine, such lever being rocked about the hinge 22 by an arm 23,supported by a pivot 24, in a bracket 24' carried by the movable frontgage frame 50 of-the ma-' chine, which the vertical art of the box orthe like restsagainst in t e nailing action;

the arm 23 being connected by a pin joint 1 into it, are acted 29 to thelever 21, and normally pressed and kept in the position shown by aspring 28; which only comes into action when the upper end of the lever21 acts on a tripping projection or part 25 on the tray 20, the endhaving a pivoted pawl 26 upon it, and the inner end of which worksagainst a stop 27 in one direction only. Thus when the frame 50 is movedbackwardly, the arm 23 moves the lever 21 in one direction, so as tobring the catch 26 outside the part 25; while when the front frame 50moves toward the front of the machine, the lever 21 is rocked in thereverse directiorr by the arm 23, and its catch engages the trayprojection 25, and presses the tray back, and then leaves it, and passesto the opposite side of it; and upon the tray being so released, thespring supports 20 cause it to vibrate several times, and so the nailsare marshaled in it, and move down it to the discharge edge.

The chutes or slides 30shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 6-down which thenails pass to the hammer tubes, have at their upper or first part, aportion 31, which is adapted to move, so as to open, so that any nailsthat may have become caught in the chutes or slides, and clog it, arereleased, and will fall into a suitable catch tray 32 below, afterwhich, upon closure, the chutes or slides continue to act normally. Thisopening or movement takes place about an axis parallel with thedirection of length of the guides, so that one-half of the guides, whichis on one side of the guide roove or way through which the shanks of thenails hang and slide, will move away from the other when opened. In thecase of this part 31 of the guides or slides 30 being automaticallyoperated and opened as described, it is conveniently done by projections34 on the spindle of the drum 1, which operate in connection with atransverse rocking spindle 35, carried in the main side frames of themachine, and having an arm 36 on it (the short end of which operatesbetween two stops 37) while the shaft 35 has also on it, within the sideframes, a number of arms 38 at' required points, the outer ends of whichoperate in connection with ins 39 fixed on one of the hinge lugs 40 of te movable side parts 31, which are carried from the stationary parts ofthe slides 30, by pivot rods 40"; and thus, when the arm 36 is actuatedand the shaft 35 rocked, the open ing side parts 31 of the guides 30,are swung about their hinges, and the nails which theyhold, are droppedinto the pan 32 below. The frequency of the actuation of these movableparts 31 of the chute or guide may vary, and will be determined by therequire- 'ments in each case. Further,'in connection with each of thechutes or slides 30-, there is a dependin or movable device 42,preferably pivota ly mounted on-the rod 35, and

such device acts in the nature of an obstruction in connection with thechutes or s1idcs,and rests upon their upper edge; the object and effectof which is to control or retard the downward movement of the nailsalong the chutes or slides, and prevent spurting of the nails down tothe machine table at an inconvenient or undesired rate, such as mighthappen by the nails sliding down on the tops or heads of the othernails, which are within the chutes or slides in their proper position,or those which might leave the V shape portion of the chuteswhich is theupper portion referred to with sufficient impetus to carry them fartherthan convenient. This device 42 acts generally as a brake or controllerto the feed of the nails.

With reference to the portions of the chutes or slides which are belowthe upper part, one half of these, that is the half and also in somecases it is movable latorally or bodily in relation to the other part,which is fixed or stationary. For instance, this one half may beautomatically moved longitudinally .more or less continuously, so thatwhile retaining the width of the aperture or way between it and thestationary part, through which the shanks of the nails lie, it, as itwere, agitates or moves the nails, and insures their traveling down theslides; and in case of any of them becoming jammed, and requiringrelief, by moving this side or rail bodily, laterally, say by hand, inrelation to the other, the whole guide is opened out, so that the spacebetween the two is wider than the heads of the nails, and all the nailsin the guides drop out of them, and so they are cleared. Preferably allthe movable parts of the slides or guides are connected together, sothat by one movement they are all operated. This latter movement may beeffected conveniently by hand; and the movable sides of the guides orslides are moved in the opposite direction to that just referred to, andkept normally in position in relation to the fixed part in the lateraldirection by a spring; which also serves as a relief means, in the caseof the guide or slide being jammed by bent nails or other obstructivedouble movement of the movable bars or ried by the side frames 49 of themachine;

and the lower edges of the e ids of the movable casing 46 rest upon fia1lges or'surfaces 47* of the stationary box if] ame 47. Thus,

whatever movement is impa rted to the box casing 46, will be imparted toall the movable sides of the slides or g aides. The op posite orstationary side of the slides .or

guides 30 is provided with lugs 51, which are similar to the lugs andthey are fixed to corresponding lugs formed or provided on thetransverse si les of the stationary box-casing 47.

It will be noted that the box-casings 46, 47 are so arranged, that onetransverse side of the one, comes within the transverse sides of theother, as is see] r in Fig. 2; the two boxes being so formed and cutaway at different parts, to enable this to be done. The normal to andfro mo :ion of the box 46, and the moving parts of the slides 30 whichit carries, is eflected in each action of the machine by a part of themovable front frame 50 coming in c nntact with the edge 52 of the endsof the box frames 46,

when it is moved longitudin illy in the nailing action; and thelimitations of movements longitudinally of the box 46, are effected bythe set screws 53, which screw into the sides of the box-ca sings 46, 47respectively, as shown in Fig; 1. -2 and 6. s

The return action of tht box frame 46 may be effected by a spring, asstated. The

bodily lateral movement oi the frame 46- is effected by a rod 54 whic 1lies below the movable case 46, and projerts through the end of thestationary case )r box, and the side frames 49; and has up on it twoarms 56, which project up and are fixed to the ends of the movable boxfr tme 46; and by a collar 57 on the rod 54, :nd a spring 58 connectingthis collar to a ;tationary part, the movable frame 46 ani the movableguide sides, will be normzlly pulled and kept in the closed positionwhile to open the slides or guides, a hand: e on the rod 54 is pulledout, whereby th e movable sides of the guides are moved bo iily awayfrom the fixed sides, and the gui( .es or slides are thereby completelyemptied ofnails, which fall through the spaces bet" veen them, intotrays or receptacles below.

The degree of the openi1 g of the slides or guides, that is the distancethey are apart,

is governed by a screw stud 60, screwing into the opposite side frame 49to that on which the handle 55 is located; and the end of the rod 54engages with the end of this stud; and so by screwing the stud, the rodand the movable slides or guide members, will be moved and adjusted asrequired. This adjustment of the two sides of the guides or slides willvary according to the size of the nail. The stud 60 is capable of freeadjustment by having upon its outer end a notched large setting wheel orhead 60*; and it is held after adjustment, by a spring catch 60.

In connection with each of the chutes or slides, a spring 61 is providedon the side of the fixed portion, this spring having in the case shown,upper and lower members, the ends of which are bent around nearly atright angles, and the extremities of which will normally bear upon theinner face of the movable side of the guides or slides 30. The membersof the spring stand apart as shown in the drawings; and thus the twoends stand normally in the path of the nails; and upon the nails beingremoved, as hereinafter described, the spring ends are pressed back, andthen fly to again. The two ends of the spring can act independently ofone another, and if a nail be too short, and is not held by the lowerspring, this lower spring would not be opened, when the short rail isremoved, and so the nails behind, could not come out of their order andposition for proper removal. The movement of the springs outward islimited by a screw 62, or other device. The spring method of holding thenails, whether the springbe of double or single form, permits of nailswhether bent up into horse-shoe shape or other form, or flattened nails,or adhering nails, being removed with certainty by the removing means.

In some cases, a pin or screw as 63, is introduced through the side ofthe upper part of the guides or slides 30-viz. that opposite the part31so that in case of a nail with a relatively large shank beingdelivered to the upper part of the guides, it would be stopped and held,until the slide part 31 is automatically opened, as above described. Thesame applies to bent nails. Furthermore, in case of any extra longnails, longer than those being used passing down the chute, these can bestopped by providing a cleat or angle device as 64, on the upper part ofthe guide, and adjustable vertically, to suit difi'erent lengths ofnails. When any long nails come down, their ends would be caught by thedevice 64, and prevented from being fed to the machine; and they wouldbe retained until the part 31 is worked as just described,automatically. This device or means 64 may be magnetic, so as to holdmore orless, onto the nails as they move down, and retard them so much'that they would remain in the upper part of the guide, until the part31 is opened.

It will be understood, that in connection with the diflerent parts wherenails are to be released, there will be provided suitable trays andchutes for receiving and carrying off the nails released. The nails areremoved from the lower ends of the guides or slides 30 by a device of atongs or nippers characterone of which is shown in Fig. 7 by which theycan be nipped and grasped, withdrawn from the slides or chutes past thesprings 61, and then released.

The removing tongs or devices are carried in such a manner as to bemoved up to the nails in the ends of the chutes, and then they areadapted to grip the nail in each chute and draw it away; and then, whenthey have receded, to drop them into the bell mouths 65 of the tubes 66for conducting them to the horizontal notched plate 67 in front of thehammers 68; and this motion or movement of the tongs may be thrplugh aradial, or rectilinear, or angular pat In the case shown in thedrawings, the tongs devices are designated 70, and are mounted in ahorizontal plane, and carried on a bar 71 extending between the arm 72on one side of the machine, and the lower part or arm of the lever 21 onthe other side of the machine; these parts being supported by the pivotjoints 73 and 22, respectively. Each tongs device is supported by apivot 74 at or near the center; and in the case shown, the tips of thejaws which engage the nails in the ends of the slides, are gapped asshown; while the opposite ends of the inside edges are inclinedinternally as shown, and in connection with these ends, pins 75 carriedon a rod 76, supported loosely in the lower ends of the arms 72 and 21work. Namely, the pins 75 move into engagement with and open and keepopen the tongs; and then move away from them out of engagement,whereupon the tongs close by means of a spring.

The rotary movement of the rod 76 is effectedby a lever 77 which isfixed on the outer end of the shaft 76, and has a stop or rest devicewhich serves to support it in a definite position relatively to the arm21, and such lever 77 has a pin 78 on it, which in the forward movement,in which the nails are to be engaged by the tongs, comes in contact witha diamond shape projection 79 carried on an arm 80 hinged at 81, andfirst lifts this end of the arm; and then passes it, the projection 79,whereupon the arm can drop again on to its rest or support, such as thepins 75 which rest against the rear end of the tongs 70; and then on thereturn of the arm 77, which has been rocked upwardlyowing to its beingsupported and moved inwardly by the inward movement of the box tablethepin 78 will strike the i rear upper angular side of the projection 79,

and it will ride over it, and thereby lift the arm 77, and so oscillatetheshaft 7 6. And

and this position will be maintained until the pin 78 of the arm 77 isoperated by the projection 79 in the manner just described, which turnsthe shaft 76, and moves the pin 75 out of the tongs; and when thishappens,

the jaws of the tongs will be'one'on elther side of the nail in the uideor slides. Thus when this releasing actlon of the tongs takes place, andthe tongs close, they will take old of the end nail, and they will holdit until the arms 21 and 72 have been moved (which movement has alreadybeen described), and are nearing the forward or outer end of theirstroke; whereupon the arm 77 is pressed again, and the pins 75 on theshaft 76 move and open the tongsagain, and so dro the nails held by theminto the nail tube eed mouths 65. This completes the operation.

The nail hoods 85, and the hammers 68, which work in connection withthem, are so ported by and adapted to be adjusted on r s 86 and 87respectively; and the hoods have in connection. with them spring hooks88 shown in Figs. 2 and 17 which come on each side of the portion of thehoods which fit and slide on the rod 86; and they grasp the transverserod 86; and thus the tension of this grip of the rod on each side of thehood constitutes a fastening, so that the hoods will be held firmly overthe groove of the toothed plate 67 on which the hammers slide. At thesame time, the spring fasteners are such, that the nail hoods 85 (Fig. 2"can be easily movedto any position laterly of the machine, as may berequired;

, that is, according to the points at which the box or article is to benailed or fastened.

The toothed or ridged plate 67 on which the nails lie prior to beingmoved, is in some in the manner desired, can be effected in any suitableway from a moving part of the machine. e 1

When the nail is just bi ing entered into i the wood by the rearwardmovement of the table with the wood on it, the front end of the groovedplate will be in I the osition shown in Fig. 12 of the dra rings, an itwill rest or be held in this posit ion on a stationary bar or su port 9,undo] neath it; if now the tableau grooved vpla 1e-67 are moved rearwardtoward the-hamm are in the nailin action, the forward edge of the plate67 wil gradually fall, owing to. th inclined surface 91 underneath theplate, am i as the nail head comes nearer, to the front e ige of thetable, the bottom of-the groovei n which iii-rests will be continuallylowerin g, and the tend-f,

ency of the nail being forzed obliquely, so that the point comes out ofthewood, is obviated. The grooved plate 67, is pivoted at 92 to thetable 10 or movin part connected therewith, and the suppo1 t 9 to theframe of the machim To adjust the arm 80, a! d the the parts abovedescribed, t] [e arm maybe is attached projection 79, for the purpose oftimi: lg the actions of mounted on an eccentric )ush or upon a pin 81. j

The nail container 1 is adapted to be moved from its, normal upperposition in which it is worked, to a po ution' on a lower level, so thatit is rendered more, convenient for filling or charging witl nails oremptythe arms down about the pivots as shown 111 dotted lines, thecontainer i will swing downward; and it is held'in its normal positionby a pawl 90 or the like which engages with a toothed projection 01 theframe when I in this position. Further, i1 some cases, the back edge ofthe receiving spouts or funnels 65 of the tube 66, could bt slotted, sothat in. case long nails are being; delivered their lower parts wouldpass tln ough these slots or gaps, before they were released by thetongs, with the same objec; and effect.

What is claimed is 1. In a nailing machine, a nail supply, a pluralityof inclined chute; receiving nails therefrom and having slot ted bottomsfor the shanks of the nails, eat h of said chutes having a laterallymoval le portion constituting a side of the chute means for moving allof said movable POIJiODS away from the opposite portions to allow theheads of plurality of inclined chute: receiving nails therefrom, nailtubes adapted to be sup 1'0 s means for periodically moving saidlaterally movable members, longitudinally movable plied with nails fromsaid chutes, said nail Chutes having each a longitudinallymovable'Portion constituting a side of the chute, and means forautomatically operating said longitudinally movable portion.

3. In a nailing machine, a nail supply, a plurality of inclined chutesreceiving nails therefrom, laterally movable members near the upper endsof the chutes forming portions of the walls of the chutes, automaticmembers comprising part of the walls of the lower portions of thechutes, means for automatically moving said longitudinally movablemembers, and nail tubes adapted to have nails delivered thereto fromsaid chutes.

4. Ina nailing machine, a plurality of inclined nail chutes, nail tubescorresponding to the chutes, a horizontal bar extending parallel withthe upper ends of said chutes, arms connecting said bar with fixedportions of the frame of the machine, a plurality of tongs carried bysaid bar, means. for swinging said arms to move the tongs across theupper ends of the nail tubes, a

rock shaft journaled in said arms, tongs opening means carried by saidrock shaft, and means for rocking said shaft.

5. In a nailing machine, a rotary supply hopper having a plurality ofcircumferentially arranged supply openings of diamond shape and aplurality of circumferentially arranged adjustable bands havingcorrespondlng openings.

6. In a nailing machine, a feed hopper, a plurality of nail deliverychutes beneath said hopper, an inclined distributing tray interposedbetween said hopper and chutes, spring arms supporting said tray, andmeans for moving said tray laterally and then suddenly releasing it toallowit to vibrate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DONALD JOHN GUNN MILLER.

Witnesses SOMERVILLE GOODALE, ANDREW TAYLOR.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eaclyby addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G."

